All articles by Angus Peters – Page 26
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Opinion
Pru exit doesn't signal death of annuities... yet
From the blog: Insurance giant Prudential is leaving the UK annuity market, but analysis of ‘at retirement’ product offerings show that guaranteed income still has a significant role in the post-freedom and choice savings world.
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News
Industry accuses Treasury of lack of data to justify £4k MPAA
HM Treasury’s consultation on reducing the money purchase annual allowance will close on Wednesday, drawing fierce criticism that the policy lacks data to back up its introduction and could unfairly hurt savers.
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News
LGPS unmarried couples discrimination unlawful, Supreme Court rules
The Supreme Court has ruled that regulations requiring unmarried Local Government Pension Scheme members to nominate a cohabiting partner in order for them to receive a survivor’s pension contravenes the European Convention on Human Rights.
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News
Managers improving stewardship disclosure, but ESG has a way to go
Quality of stewardship reports among asset management firms is steadily improving, according to the Financial Reporting Council, but some managers continue to dismiss environmental, social and governance issues.
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News
Thames Ambulance dispute puts comms in the spotlight
A bitter dispute has broken out between Thames Ambulance Service and the GMB union over contributions to two pension schemes, with members feeling confused as to the security of their benefits.
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News
Hollis: Bring invisible women into AE system
The UK’s pension system is failing “invisible women” who do not meet the auto-enrolment earnings threshold and are punished for leaving work to care for children, Labour peer Patricia Hollis has warned.
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News
Isle of Wight's outperformance vindicates active management
The Isle of Wight Pension Fund’s funding level jumped from 78 per cent to 92 per cent over three years, posting returns that reignite the debate over active and passive fund management.
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News
Calls for greater trustee powers as advisers fail to consider scam risks
Government and regulators have been urged to strengthen the powers of trustee boards in opposing suspicious transfer requests, as an alert from the Financial Conduct Authority warned that some advisers are not carrying out proper due diligence on receiving scheme investments.
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News
Concerns over Lisa mis-selling remain as consultation closes
The Financial Conduct Authority’s consultation on rules for selling lifetime Isas will close on Wednesday, amid continued industry concern that the draft regulation will not do enough to stop inappropriate choice of products.
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News
How to choose a professional trustee for your scheme
Any other business: A regulatory burden that has proved too much even for some professional trustees and a challenging investment environment mean running a scheme has arguably never been harder. So should schemes appoint professional trustees, and what qualities do they need to look for?
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News
Increase caps add to rules lottery amid inflation spike
The consumer price index spiked by almost half a per cent in the year to December 2016, narrowing the ‘rules lottery’ gap between the official inflation measure and the retail price index.
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News
Cost scrutiny intensifies as TTF calls for select committee inquiry
The Work and Pensions Select Committee has been asked to launch a fresh inquiry into charges levied on pension savings, as campaigners warned price inefficiencies reach far beyond investment costs.
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Features
Telegraph welcomes smart beta addition to TDFs
Telegraph Media Group has welcomed the downside protection brought in by the addition of smart beta to its default defined contribution target date funds, despite concerns over hidden dangers within the investment style.
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Features
Babcock takes member comms online to boost efficiency
The Babcock International Group Pension Scheme is moving its communications online in an attempt to cut costs, boost efficiency and better reflect the preferences of members.
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News
Berkshire saves 600 hours with automated data exchange
The Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund saved an estimated 604.1 hours of administrative work over six months, and ended its struggles with updating member data by introducing an automated data exchange.
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News
Royal Mail closure consultation could see strike action
Royal Mail Group has begun consulting with active members on closing its section of the Royal Mail Pension Plan, spurring the threat of industrial action from unions if the sponsor does not react positively to their concerns.
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News
DB outlook 2017: Investment problems remain as deficits dip
Defined benefit deficits worsened during December to an aggregate IAS 19 deficit of £434bn, as experts added sustained low interest rates and cash flow problems to their concerns for pension funds over the course of 2017.
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Opinion
Is good pensions practice drowning in policy consultations?
From the blog: The run up to Christmas saw a flurry of political activity to cap off what has been an exhausting year, with two separate Department for Work and Pensions consultation launches complemented by the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s report on defined benefit.
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News
Select committee: Scare negligent employers into funding with 'nuclear' fines
The Work and Pensions Select Committee has called for “nuclear deterrent” fines – tripling the amount currently payable – to be levied against employers seen to be shirking pension responsibilities, in its report into defined benefit pensions.
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News
Discrimination, indexation and tax relief's survival: Top law and regulation stories from 2016
Year in review: As if Brexit didn’t pose enough challenges, regulators, lawyers and two successive pensions ministers have had a lot on their plate in 2016.